The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB) were established by an Act of the Legislature on March 3, 1870. The School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind offer comprehensive educational programs for
hearing impaired
Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken la ...
and
visually impaired
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
students respectively. There is also a unit for
deafblind and
multihandicapped children. Students are eligible to enroll at the age of three, must be residents of the state of
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
and exhibit a hearing or visual loss sufficient to prevent normal progress in the usual public school setting. The West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind are located on a campus in
Romney in
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
's
Eastern Panhandle
The Eastern Panhandle is the eastern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia; the other is the Northern Panhandle. It is a small stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Some sources a ...
. Locally, the schools are referred to simply as The state school.
Both the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind are supervised by the
West Virginia Board of Education, supported by the state of West Virginia, and fully accredited by the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It w ...
at the elementary and secondary levels.
History
The idea to establish a school in West Virginia for the deaf and blind began in 1869 or early 1870. Professor
Howard Hille Johnson
Howard Hille Johnson (February 19, 1846 – February 8, 1913) was a blind American educator and writer in the states of Virginia and West Virginia. Johnson was instrumental in the establishment of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf an ...
of
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
, himself blind, was instrumental in bringing a school for the deaf and blind to West Virginia. During his youth, Johnson had attended the
Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind
The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, located in Staunton, Virginia, United States, is an institution for educating deaf and blind children, first established in 1839 by an act of the Virginia General Assembly. The school accepts chil ...
in
Staunton, Virginia. Shortly after West Virginia's statehood, Johnson recognized the need for such a school in the state and he began canvassing the state, gathering support for his project. Several towns including Romney,
Clarksburg, and
Parkersburg
Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and the largest city in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna metro ...
all lobbied to have the school located there, but Romney was selected following an offer consisting of the buildings and grounds of the
Romney Literary Society
The Romney Literary Society (also known as the Literary Society of Romney) existed from January 30, 1819, to February 15, 1886, in Romney, West Virginia. Established as the Polemic Society of Romney, it became the first organization of its kind ...
's
Romney Classical Institute
Romney Classical Institute was a 19th-century coeducational collegiate preparatory school in Romney, West Virginia, Romney, Virginia (present-day West Virginia), between 1846 and shortly after 1866. Romney had previously been served by Romney Aca ...
. The Romney Classical Institute had lain dormant since the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
when its libraries' volumes were destroyed and its campus was left beyond repair.
On March 3, 1870, H. H. Johnson's dreams became a reality when the
West Virginia Legislature
The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI o ...
approved a measure calling for the creation of the West Virginia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. The school opened on September 29, 1870, with thirty students, twenty-five deaf and five blind students. Through the years, additional buildings and grounds have been added to accommodate increasing enrollment. Currently, the main campus consists of sixteen major buildings, containing approximately , situated on seventy-nine acres of land.
On May 17, 1916,
Helen Keller visited the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
The historic administration building of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind was destroyed by fire on the morning of February 26, 2022.
Campus
The school has the Hellen Keller Dormitory.
People associated with the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind
*
Marshall S. Cornwell, Board of Regents secretary (1897)
*
John Collins Covell, principal (1874–1887)
*
Samuel Lightfoot Flournoy, trustee (1874–1887)
*
Henry Bell Gilkeson
Henry Bell Gilkeson (June 6, 1850 – September 29, 1921) was an American lawyer, politician, school administrator, and banker in West Virginia.
Gilkeson was born in Moorefield, Virginia (now West Virginia), the eldest child of a dry good ...
, trustee (1876–1887) and principal (1887–1888)
*
Howard Hille Johnson
Howard Hille Johnson (February 19, 1846 – February 8, 1913) was a blind American educator and writer in the states of Virginia and West Virginia. Johnson was instrumental in the establishment of the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf an ...
, trustee (1870) and professor (1870–1913)
*
Robert White, trustee
Image gallery
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See also
*
Big Run (South Branch Potomac River)
*
Literary Hall
*
WVXS
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
*
West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind*
ttp://www.wvculture.org/goldenseal/fall02/dbschools.html Goldenseal: "A Campus Called Home"
{{DEFAULTSORT:West Virginia Schools For The Deaf And The Blind
1870 establishments in West Virginia
Public education in West Virginia
Educational institutions established in 1870
Public elementary schools in West Virginia
Public middle schools in West Virginia
Public high schools in West Virginia
Public K-12 schools in the United States
Buildings and structures in Romney, West Virginia
Schools for the blind in the United States
Schools for the deaf in the United States
Schools in Hampshire County, West Virginia
Public boarding schools in the United States
Boarding schools in West Virginia
American Civil War sites in West Virginia